Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-09-14
MOONSHlNERS' STILLS,
How They Are Put Together by the Wal
Gerrri,, nInuninlncCrs

How They Are Put Together by the Wary
Georgia AIOuntalnecrs.
"How do the moOnshiners get their
stills:" said an old revenue officer, repeat
ing the question after an Athens (Ga.)
Banner VdtchBlGR reporter. "Why, they
buy few sheets Of copper, to be had at
any hardware store, and make them. All
they need is box of rivetS, a hammer aud
big stump. 1t is an easy matter to cut
the copper sheets and rivet them together
and is soon learned. When a tube of sufil
cient length is formed it is filed with
sand, so as to prevent the copper from
sinking in. A tree of the desired size of
the stillworm is then selected, cut off about
five feet from the ground, and the stump
used as block around which to cell the
tabe. In few moments they will make
as nice a worm as you would care to see.
Go to any of your hardware stores and the
clerks will tell you that they sell tons OF
sheet-copper, and two-thirds of it.,
too, goes into moonshine stills.
There is heavy penalty
attached to furnishing material for this
purpose, but then n dealer don't know
whether il is wanted to go in a strip
evaporation or q still. The still made, only
few stands, a section of troughs to con-
vey water from the spring, rude furnace,
and the machinery is ready for making
whisky. A house is not even necessary.
Sometimes the apparatus is set up under a
shed, sometimes in a cave excavated from
hillside, and still more frequently in the
open air. There are men who make a good
living manufacturing these moonshine
! stills. / knew a fellow in White County
who could make the prettiest still ever
looked at. BY the way, he Is living down
in this section now. It got most too warm
for him in White.
"Thcre is a foolish notion among liquor
drinkers that when they get mountain dew
liquor, on which no tax hos been paid, that
they are having something extra good.
Never was there a greater mistake. Nine
tenths Of the moonshine whisky is as vic
stuff as ever passed down the throat of a
man. To make good liquor you must use
the greatest caution aud take plenty OF
time. The mash must be exactly at the
right stage, the fires kept evenly burning,
regular temperature had, and every thing
must go like clockwork. The spirits must
pass through frequent stages, and finally
doubled to secure the proper strength.
Now, in the case OF a moonshiner, LIE is
frightened with the dread of q raid by rev.
| enue officers from the time he begins his
work until 1t is finished. He knows that il
he is detected he not only loses his mate
rial and property, bu. runs chance to be
arrested himself. The consequence is, no
does not take time to proper
ly prepare his Ingredients. He begins
to diStil his mash before 1t has
reached the right stage; he gets up toe
much heat and burns his liquor, and what
is still worse, and is most frequently the
case, will run his ingredients through the
still only one time, without doubling, and
this produces n decoction that tastes and
smells like corn whisky and will make
drunk come, but had just as soon think
of drinking sewer water. A man can't
make good whisky if he is hurried or ex.
cited-the natural state of the moonshiner.